Mister Lonely
by Love Naie
Summary: A lonely Craig Tucker finds himself searching for an answer. Could an insecure, spastic blonde really be the solution to his problems?
1. Introduction

Mister Lonely

Introduction

**A/N: **I'm gonna come clean about this. So, this is my first fanfic... Okay, it's my first story. Ever. So it's bound to, um, I dunno, SUCK? But bear with me, and I'll try to improve my writing skills, if I have any. So, um, yeah. I'd love some support, so review, maybe? Oh, and by the way, sorry about the cheesy title. I literally had ZERO good ideas.

xx

It was dance night for South Park High. To any other person it was any old dance, but not for me. I changed that night. I couldn't tell what was going on or what I was feeling, but it was something big. Something strange. That night triggered what you may call a revelation.

I wasn't dancing. I never danced. I stood among the crowd of teenagers, the room seeming to pulse to the racing beat of the song. I looked around to see what others were doing.

My best friend, Clyde Donovan, was dancing rather wildly with a girl, who I'm pretty sure was Bebe Stevens. I noticed that Eric Cartman had cleared a spot on the dance floor and was making a failed attempt at break dancing, much to the amusement of those watching. Stan Marsh was off in an obscure corner, a bored look on his features as he listened to his girlfriend, Wendy Testaburger, raging about some argument she had with Cartman the other day. Kyle Broflovski was with a drunk Kenny McCormick, seeing to it that the boy in the orange hoodie wasn't getting into trouble. My other friend, Token Black, was leaning against the wall, tapping his foot to the beat as he chatted idly with a jittery Tweek Tweak.

I was getting slightly annoyed by the constant bumping and shoving, and the noise of the blaring music was giving me a headache. I took one look at the dizzying array of flashing colored lights on the ceiling and headed out.

I walked out of the recreation room at South Park's youth center to the fenced-off area outside. As I walked out, the cold night air hit me in a cool, refreshing gust. I pulled my hat down to cover as much of my head as possible and hunched my shoulders, jamming my hands in my pockets. I strode out to a quiet section of the area, tilting my head upwards to stare at the sky. One of the few nice things about living in a small, forgotten town in Colorado was the beautiful nighttime sky. I took a deep breath as the cold evening air filled my nostrils. It was peaceful out here. That's how I liked it.

It was then when it happened. It just... Sort of came at me out of the blue. My heart suddenly sank spontaneously into my stomach. I felt strange, strangled by a feeling that I had never experienced before. I couldn't tell what it was, but it was scary, and it was overwhelming me. My eyes were beginning to sting as I kept them glued to the stars, and my vision was beginning to blur as my eyes glazed over.

"Craig."

I snapped out of my absentminded state and looked over to whomever was addressing me, to see a mess of brown hair all swept to one side, relaxed, dark eyes looking into mine.

"Oh, hey Clyde. What's up? I thought you were freaking Bebe," I said sardonically in my usually nasally tone. This earned me an unamused glare from Clyde.

"I saw you walk out, and- wait, dude. Are you crying?"

Fuck. Noticed.

"No," I objected sternly. I wasn't crying. I never cried. Craig Tucker doesn't cry. Ever.

Clyde gave me a suspicious look, raising an eyebrow. "Dude-"

"I'm FINE, Clyde."

The brunette clamped his mouth shut, giving me a concerned look.

I noticed Bebe skip up to where Clyde and I were standing. She had a sickeningly seductive smile playing on her brightly lipsticked lips. Her lively blue eyes were framed by her wild blonde hair spilling over her shoulders. She reached out and grasped Clyde's hand with her perfectly manicured one.

"Clyyyde," she purred, "won't you come dance some more?"

Clyde put on a handsome smile. "In a bit, baby. I'm talking to Craig."

I could tell he was itching to leave with the blonde, but I supposed that this was his way of being polite.

"Oh," Bebe said disappointedly. She gave me a reproachful look, lips pursed. I flipped her the bird.

Bebe disliked me, I could tell. She thought I was a negative influence on others.

"No," I said quickly. "We're done talking. He's all yours."

Clyde sighed, finally understanding I wanted to be left alone. He grasped Bebe's hand and led her back inside. I walked over to one of the wooden benches provided outdoors and sat, staring down at my feet.

A slow song had begun playing. Hey, Soul Sister by Train. I could hear it even though I was outside.

_Your lipstick stains, on the front lobe of my left side brains_

_I knew I wouldn't forget you_

_And so I went and let you blow my mind_

"Hey, Craig."

I looked up at Red, her vibrant cherry-red hair pushed back behind her shoulders. She looked down at me from where she stood with piercing green eyes, a hand placed on her hip, mouth working away at a piece of gum.

"What do you want?"

"I dunno, you looked lonely."

_Hey, Soul Sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo_

_The way you move ain't fair, you know_

"Lonely?"

_Hey, Soul Sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do, tonight._

The word hit me like a train. Was that it? This peculiar feeling weighing down my heart was loneliness? I stared up at Red mutely. It all made sense now.

Red fidgeted awkwardly under my blank stare. "So, uh, you wanna dance?" She asked shyly, her cheeks becoming a tinge of pink.

I jolted out of my reverie, returning to my normal, expressionless self. "Naw, I don't dance."

Red huffed in disappointment, rejected.

"Fine." She turned on her heel and began to stride off at a quick pace.

"Hey, Red?"

She turned to look at me, eyes gleaming hopefully.

I hesitated. "Thanks."

I knew she didn't know what I was talking about, but I still felt the need to thank her. She gave me a puzzled look.

"Whatever," she pouted.

She turned to leave, and I flipped her off, smiling.

xx

Yeah, I know. Hey, Soul Sister was stuck in my head, and I just HAD to throw it in there. Sorry! It kind of inspired me to keep writing. .

This introduction was just written on a whim. I thought it up at a dance I went to the other day. I was feeling lonely because my boyfriend never showed up. Future chapters will be better! (Hopefully)

Um, yeah. I had no idea what to write about, so I decided to make Craig realize that he wasn't okay with life as is. He's lonely! Poor thing. *Tear*

Hopefully he'll find a companion to complete his life.

That'll probably be where the Creek comes in.

So, I'm feeling really stupid right now, and, um, yeah. Review, please?

I'll only feel motivated enough to write more if people like it, so please tell me what you think.

Love you all!

-Naie


	2. Gesture

Mister Lonely

Gesture

A/N: Okay guys, first of all, I'm SOOOO sorry I haven't updated this story in so long! My life started getting a little hectic after I uploaded the intro, plus I was suffering from an immense case of writer's block. I will try my best to make the next update as soon as I can.

xx

It all started with a simple act of kindness. From there, my whole life began to entangle itself with the strangest emotions and people I've ever encountered.

It was the Monday after the Dance, and I was exhausted. My newly found emotion was intriguing to me, and I barely got any sleep while it was on my mind. And it was on my mind, oh it was. All. The time. My chest was constantly being weighed down by this awful feeling. Loneliness. It was consuming me.

I trudged down the hallways of South Park High, struggling to keep from falling unconscious, Clyde by my side. There was noise all around us as we made our way through the teeming hallways of the school, and I wasn't paying attention to any of it, until one noise caught my attention.

"GAH!" It was a high-pitched shriek of terror.

I stopped and turned my head curiously. There, I saw a thin, terrified figured pinned against a locker by another figure, one that was considerably larger than the first.

I surprised myself by approaching the two.

"The fuck are you doing, Cartman?"

A pudgy face glared at me through beady eyes.

"Whaddya want, _Craig_?" He said, emphasizing my name with a disgusted sneer. Eric Cartman and I had always hated each other. I honestly couldn't figure out why Stan, Kyle, and Kenny were able to stand hanging out with him in elementary school. He probably paid them.

"Let me repeat my question," I said with irritated patience, "_what_, are you doing?" I new very well what the fatass was doing, but somehow it pissed me off.

At the time, I figured my new found emotion was going to my head and making me all soft. Bullies beating helpless kids up never bothered me before, but that time was different. It irritated me. A lot. What I didn't know was the real reason why I had felt the need to intervene. It wasn't the fact that Cartman was beating people up, nor was it an excuse to get mad at him. Oh, no. I later came to realize that it was the fact that a certain person was being bullied.

Tweek stared up at me from where he stood pinned to his locker, terrified.

"Aw, I'm sorry Craig. I didn't realize you were gay for spastic misfits." Cartman leered at me.

I threw back my arm and took a full swing at the boy's face, punching him square in the nose with a satisfying crunch.

Cartman reared back, cupping a pudgy hand over his nose. Deep red blood oozed out from between his fingers. I smirked with amusement as he gave me a look that was half disbelief, half injured dignity.

"You mother _fucker_," he spat, but he didn't fight back. Instead he turned to hurry to the nearest bathroom. Pussy.

I watched him go and then turned to Tweek, who was still pressed against the locker, eyes wide with fear. He was trembling immensely, and I thought he was going to burst out into tears.

I wanted to ask him if he was okay, but instead I turned around and sauntered back over to where Clyde stood with a bemused look on his features.

"Somehow I feel like you're changing on me," he said.

I flipped him off. "I just wanted to beat Cartman up, is all. No deeper meaning."

Clyde gave me an incredulous look, but decided to drop it.

That day after school, Tweek approached me.

"What's up?"

"Ngh, thanks," he muttered in that strained voice of his.

"For what?"

"For saving me from Cartman today."

Just then, I realized that my feeling of loneliness had left me. When had that happened? Was I cured? I stared into the boy's hazelly green eyes, contemplated his frantic mess of blonde hair, his hastily buttoned shirt, his two-sizes-too-large trousers... Nah. It was just a coincidence.

"I didn't do it for you." For some reason I felt like a liar.

He gave me a pathetic look of hurt understanding. "Sorry to-ngh-trouble you." He turned on his heel and scampered off into the throng of students making their way out of South Park High's hallways.

That emotion. That sorrowful feeling of loneliness slithered its way back into my chest.

xx

Sorry that was so short. I had no idea what to write, I just wanted to upload something so I wouldn't give up on the story.

Review nicely, please~

- Love, Naie


	3. Collision

Mister Lonely

Collision

A/N: Yaaay, I'm finally writing another chapter! It'll be a rushed job, since I just want to get a chapter out there, and I already have the next chapter in my head, somewhat, so the following chapter will come sooner.

xx

"Please?"

"No."

"Don't make me get on my knees."

"Don't embarrass yourself."

"Please, Craig!"

"What does the word 'no' mean to you?" I growled, pushing the brunette away in his attempt to give me a 'convincing' hug with one hand, while my other hand braced the desk.

"But we're in dire need of some players for the basketball team," Clyde whined, "you used to play in middle school, I heard you were really good."

"Well, I don't play anymore."

"It'll be a breeze. C'mon, Craig!"

"Why are you so worried about this? You only joined the basketball team because you couldn't make the football team because you wanted to impress that whore."

"Bebe is NOT a whore! You take that back! And being on a team isn't any good if it doesn't win. Plus I kinda promised the guys I'd get a really good player to join."

"Not my problem."

"I'll make it your problem, then," Clyde began slyly, "you know, you have to participate in at least two years of sports or physical education to graduate. You haven't done enough."

"Your point, Counselor Clyde?"

"My _point_," he said as his voice increased into an excited tone, "is that you can fill up the requirements you need to get the hell out of here, and you can help out a friend at the same time!"

I mumbled incoherently, then drew my lips into an irritated frown, leaning back in my seat and crossing my arms. "Fine."

"Yippee!" Clyde shouted, throwing his hands into the air.

xx

"Hey, you're pretty good, what's your name, kid?" The basketball coach was an immense, burly man with a square jaw and a scowl on his face. It was almost enough to intimidate me. Almost.

"Craig Tucker," I sighed, looking unhappily down at the baggy uniform I wore.

The man jabbed a thick finger in the direction of the rest of the team. "Well, you're better than the rest of these idiots, so you'll have to work with them. With you we might be able to win a game or two. Might."

"Yes, sir."

"Awright. Let's start warming up."

After a few quick drills, we started playing a scrimmage. The coach was right, the team was a wreck. I was the only one who could really play.

Clyde, as always, was being a little too enthusiastic.

"Craig! Craig! Heads!" He called, raising the ball over his head and throwing it as hard as he could in my general direction. The ball rocketed into the air, way past the boundaries of the court, and I began running to catch it.

I sprinted to catch up with Clyde's atrocious throw, keeping my eyes glued to the ball still in the air, when BAM, next thing I knew, I was on the floor, my head throbbing from the sudden impact.

"Ouch."

"GAH!"

Eyes pinched closed in a wince, I raised a hand to my forehead, which now felt badly bruised. "What the?"

I looked up to see a shaky figure sitting in shock on the ground, less than a meter away. "...Tweek?"

My attention snapped to the voice of the coach. "You boys okay? Tucker, you got to watch where you're going, especially if you're sprinting so fast. Ran smack into the kid."

"...Sorry?" I felt slightly bewildered, and my eyesight was blurry. I couldn't think straight, either.

The coach sighed. "You two should run off to the office, blood stains are not something we need on the floor," the coach said monotonously as I looked down to find blood pouring out of my nose. "Aw, shit."

I queasily stood up, as did Tweek.

"Get better, Craig! Seeya!"

I returned Clyde's goodbye with as much of a glare as I could muster.

xx

"Why were you in there, anyways?" I inquired in confusion as the nurse applied an ice pack to my forehead.

"Ngh, that was my detention. I had to help the football team put their gear back into the gym's-GAH- storage room," The blonde replied in that strained voice of his.

"Ah."

The nurse left to take care of other business, and Tweek and I sat on opposite sides of the small room, looking at the floor awkwardly.

"Gah, you probably want to beat me up, don't you?" He blurted in fear.

"Mm, naw." I couldn't exactly think straight. The ice felt like it was numbing my brain, and I had a tissue shoved up my nose.

More silence.

"Ngh, I'm really sorry..."

"Don't worry about it."

I kept my eyes averted, managing to keep a bored expression on my face as my mind wandered. The sinking feeling. It was gone again. It was hard to notice when I smashed my head, but now that my mind was slightly more clear, the fact that my loneliness had disappeared bothered me again. Maybe this kid really did have something to do with it, but at that point I didn't know what to think. I looked up at his disheveled appearance, then looked down again.

The peace was broken when a wild head of brown hair poked in from around the door. "Craig, you're all right! Practice is over, so we thought we'd come see how you're doing."

I looked exhaustedly up at Clyde's bright expression. "We?"

He opened the door all the way, and there stood Bebe and Red, as well. The blonde's bright red lips curled into a smirk, while the other girl smiled shyly behind the first.

"Red got some real cheap tickets to the amusement park. _Five of 'em_!" Clyde said, enthusiastically. "The three of us are going, and you're coming too, so that makes four."

"You can't decide for me."

"Aw, come on!" Red finally spoke, giving me a disappointed frown.

I flipped them off. "Fine, I guess. Who's the fifth person?"

"We haven't decided yet."

I hesitated, glancing for a moment at a pair of wide, paranoid eyes that watched the conversation silently from across the room.

"Let's take Tweek."

The spastic caffeine addict jumped in his seat, "Ungh, ah.." He started, squirming uncomfortably where he sat.

"Huh?" Clyde asked in wonder, finally noticing that Tweek was in the room. "Seriously..?"

"Yeah," I said with sudden confidence.

"_Gah_, it's okay, I don't have to go if you don't want me to-..." Tweek waved his hands frantically in front of him as a sign of surrender.

"I want you to go."

Bebe gave me an incredulous look, then sighed, placing a hand on her slim hip. "Okay, we'll bring him. This Saturday, we meet at Red's house. See you all there."

xx

WHEW. I wrote that in a surprisingly small amount of time.

._.

It's kind of... lacking. And confusing. Oh well. I'm too lazy to fix it up. My lack of determination and creativeness never ceases to weigh me down.

Thanks for reading! You guys are the best ~

Be nice&review, please.

-Naie


	4. Carnival

Mister Lonely

Carnival

**A/N:** Hurrah, another chapter written! Also, I wanted to take the time to thank you guys, especially those who left me a review. Encouraging words like those really help me along! Like, they REALLY do! It means a lot to me, so thank you very, very much!

xx

I stood hesitantly on the porch of Red's house, gazing at the slightly cracked, navy blue paint that coated the front door. I was beginning to think that this wasn't such a good idea, I mean, I _hated_ amusement parks. They were unsanitary and teeming with loud, scream-happy people. Who liked those kinds of things?

I guess I was just going to have to admit to myself that Tweek was the reason I was doing this. He's a strange kid, for sure, but that wasn't what intrigued me. It was the fact that, whether or not it was by mere coincidence, every time I came in contact with him, I stopped feeling that horrible, aching depression I've been in for the past month. Naturally, I was curious, as well as a little freaked out. Who wouldn't be?

With a newfound determination, I raised a hand to the door, paused for a second, and lightly rapped the wood with my knuckles. It took Red about half a second to swing open the door.

"Ohey, Craig!" She exclaimed, gesturing for me to come in.

I nodded coolly in acknowledgement, and suddenly became aware of the girl's appearance. She looked more... feminine than usual.

She wore a snow white, slightly frilly blouse and prim, denim cutoffs that exposed her long, slender legs. On her feet she wore floral ivory heeled sandals, and her toes were manicured perfectly. Topping off the whole outfit, a small blue denim bow sat perched over her ear among her vibrant scarlet hair.

As I stepped inside the house, I was now conscious of what I was wearing- a red racer tee and a pair of jeans. "You look nice... were we supposed to dress up?" At this the redhead blushed and looked up at me sheepishly. "No... I just-"

"Craaaig," Bebe's flirtatious voice interrupted Red's small one as she came up from behind me, her blood-red nails curling around my arm. "May I speak to you for a sec?" She asked cordially, pulling me into another room. "Excuse us, Red," she told her friend sweetly, closing the door behind us.

As soon as Red was out of eyesight and earshot, Bebe's smile turned into a displeased frown.

"What'd I do?"

She glared at me viciously, placing both her hands on her hips. "You know, Red's a real sweet girl."

"She's nice, yeah."

"She's pretty, and smart."

"What're you getting at?"

"She's a great girl." The blonde continued to scowl at me.

I returned her reproachful frown with a blank stare.

"You are so fucking _dense_! Unbelievable," she hissed, leaning in close to my ear to whisper. "Red's got a thing for you. I have no idea why, but I'm willing to support my best friend."

"I thought Wendy was your best friend."

"Not since she got pre-engaged to Stan."

"The fuck?"

"That's besides the point! Don't you like Red?"

"I've never thought about it before."

"If you make her cry, I'll hunt you down."

"_Jesus_! Fine, I'll think about it."

Raising an eyebrow, the girl gave me a look of warning and then sauntered back to the room Red was in, calling over her shoulder. "Clyde should be around here somewhere. Why don't you two hang out for a while before Tweek gets here?"

I growled slightly in annoyance, then sulked off to find Clyde.

xx

"Oh my _god_, we're here! I thought I was gonna die!"

"A-AGH!"

"_Why_ was Bebe driving?"

"Shuttup, I can drive better than you."

"Baby," Clyde began, "As much as I love you-"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Bebe frowned, throwing open the car door and stepping out into the warm, sunny parking lot as the rest of us piled out in relief. I'm not exaggerating when I say that that girl drives like a freaking lunatic.

After about half an hour, we had managed to get in. These places were _crowded_.

As we walked through the park, Bebe and Clyde continued to bounce ahead, hand-in-hand, while I trailed behind, Tweek nervously shuffling off to the side. Red was in between me and the couple, not sure which to walk with. She ended up stopping to wait for me as the other two ran ahead.

"Those two look happy."

"Hm."

"Do you like roller coasters?"

"Not really."

She continued to walk beside me awkwardly, not sure what to say next. That was when I remembered Bebe's threats.

"How about you?"

"Yeah, I like 'em," she replied with relief in her voice. She stared in the other direction at Tweek, who was frantically looking around as if someone was following him. "What made you want to bring him? I didn't realize you were friends," she said, turning back to me.

"I can't make new friends?"

"I didn't mean it like that, it's just…" She glanced back at the messy blonde. "…He's a weird choice in a new friend."

"Maybe."

"You guys!" Bebe called, waving frantically. She and Clyde had stopped in front of what looked like the most dangerous rollercoaster in the park. "Ride with us!"

Red smiled in excitement. "Be right there! Wanna come, Craig?"

"I'm good. I'll just wait with Tweek." I was pretty sure little spazzy wasn't going on that ride, because in the car he had been wringing his hands and mumbling something about amusement rides causing one's brain to explode.

Red hesitated for a second with a slight frown at my answer, then turned to dash off with the yelling couple.

I went in the other direction to find Tweek before he got lost. Sticking my hands in my pockets, I came up to him as he carefully scrutinized a bench before plopping down on it. I sat down next to him abruptly.

I could tell he was scared shitless by my sudden appearance, and for some reason I hated it. He was the only person who made me annoyed by his fear.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you."

"W-why?"

"Why would I?"

"I-ngh-I don't know…"

Silence.

It wasn't until about a minute later when I realized I was staring curiously at the boy every time he looked in the other direction. I just couldn't figure him out. I didn't know why he was so weird. I didn't know why he drank so much coffee. I didn't know why he never stopped shaking. I didn't know why his hair stuck out in all directions like that. But most of all, I was completely _clueless_ as to why it almost seemed like I enjoyed his company.

All I knew was, there was no mistake. Tweek might be, no, he _was_ the cure.

"Tweek."

"W-what?"

"Let's be friends."

xx

*Sigh*. I am SO sorry that it took me so long to write this one.

I've been getting so caught up in school that it kinda got left in the back of my mind. Gomen!

Anyways, I really didn't like how I ended this chapter, but I was really out of ideas. I kinda feel like my writing is going downhill. In case you were wondering, the rest of the day pretty much consisted of Red, Bebe, and Clyde going on rides while Craig and Tweek sat out. I didn't wanna write out their whole day because I'm a lazy bastard and it would make it a really boring chapter.

Um, my head's spinning so I'm just gonna put this chapter up real quicklike and pass out. I'm too lazy to fix the mistakes. I've got finals to study for, so the next update probably won't be for another week and a half, at the least.

Review, please! Be nice! Thanks!

-Naie


	5. Confessions

Mister Lonely

Confessions

xx

People just don't scare me. I'm a Tucker. _Nobody_ scares _me_. Somebody tries to pick a fight? They're the ones who end up regretting it.

But if there were to be an exception, not like there _was_ one, I know who it would be. I'll admit that Token Black _is_ a bit of an intimidating guy. No one I can't handle, though.

It's just that, when I'm talking to the only boy in our year who's taller than me, has the stealth of a leopard, and can keep his cool no matter _what_, I can't help but feel a little respect. Even if I _am_ a Tucker.

"I've been hearing some pretty interesting stories from Tweek lately," the dark skinned boy said in a casually menacing way as he materialized next to me, leaning up against an adjacent locker.

I swung shut my locker and looked up at him with a blank expression as I snapped the lock shut. I stood there for a second before answering. Even if he was only two inches taller than me, it still made a difference.

"What do I have to do with it?"

"Think you can play dumb?" He followed me as I began to lope down the hallway.

"Playing dumb?"

"He told me about last weekend."

"So what if I want to make new friends?"

"It's not like you. I know it, you know it, _everybody_ knows it."

I stopped walking, not sure what to say. I didn't want to answer that, because what he said was entirely true. Everybody knew who I was: an antisocial asshole.

"I'm going to figure out why you're doing this," he said, turning the other way. As he walked off, he gave me an over-the-shoulder look of suspicion.

This was great. To add to my already emotionally confused brain, I now had a bad feeling that if I took one wrong step, I'd be falling into an abyss of humiliation.

I figured the best thing would be to tell Tweek the whole reason why I was trying to be "friends" with him, but I figured that it would either embarrass the shit out of me, ruin my reputation, or BOTH. There was also the factor that Tweek wouldn't believe a word that I said, but then again, who would? It was so silly.

xx

"Craaaaig."

That sickeningly lusty voice that irritated me to the point where my ears were practically bleeding brought me out of my thoughts.

Somehow, it was already lunch time, and Bebe was waving a manicured hand in my face. "Wow, spaceboy, come back to earth."

"Shuddup, whore," I mumbled almost incoherently.

The blonde let out a noise of insult, latching on to her boyfriend. Clyde frowned. "I don't really appreciate you saying things like that to my girlfriend."

"Whatever."

"What were you thinking about, anyway, Craig? You never space out like that," Red piped up.

"Nothing much."

Bebe sneered slightly. "Maybe he's thinking about love?" Her cerulean eyes flitted from me, to Red, then back to me again. The redhead noticed this gestured and blushed.

"No."

"Then what're you thinking about?"

"Stuff."

"Does it have to do with that Tweek thing?"

"What 'Tweek thing'?"

"First of all, he wasn't even your friend but you invite him to go to the amusement park, then you suddenly want to friends with him. Anyone with sense would call that fishy, and the poor boy's heart rate has probably been increased permanently. You know how much he's afraid of you. He's more scared of _you_ than _CARTMAN_, and that's really saying something. Besides, what's it all for? You haven't even seen him since Saturday."

"Is that so."

"Craig," Clyde began with slight worry in his voice, "please don't tell me you're planning some huge prank. You told me you were done with too much excitement ever since that time when you had lasers come shooting out of your eyes."

"I'm not planning anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Positive?"

"_Yeah_."

"Are you absolutely-"

"_Jesus!_"

I braced my hands on the cafeteria table and stood up roughly, causing the other three to jolt.

"Craig, don't be mad," Red pleaded. "It's not Clyde's fault that he's naturally thickheaded!"

"Hey!"

I shook my head. "I have something I need to do."

"What is it?" Clyde pried.

"None of your business."

I took off at a quick pace- for me, that is- and left the cafeteria. Stepping out into the hallway, I was taken slightly aback by the lack of people there. It never really occurred to me that almost everyone went either into the cafeteria or outside during lunch break. _Almost_ everyone.

I was able to find Tweek (and to my dismay, Token) at what I assumed was the electric blonde's locker. As soon as I saw the tall boy, my pace slowed the slightest bit, but I still approached them. Upon noticing me, Tweek promptly began to freak out, and Token gave me a warning glance.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" I asked the blonde awkwardly.

"U-uh, s-sure, I guess…"

"Alone?"

"Agh! Uh…" The caffeine addict glanced desperately towards Token, who nodded encouragingly and answered for him. "I'll leave you two to talk, then."

The dark boy sauntered off, and I watched him go. When he was out of sight, I turned back to Tweek, shifting hesitantly from one foot to the other. Tweek himself seemed to be preparing himself for a beating. Both arms were protectively covering his skull.

I sighed, grabbing his wrists and forcing them to his sides. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Ngh…"

"Look, I know that it seems weird, and that _everyone_ is suspicious about my 'sudden interest in being friends with you'. I get it."

His wide green-hazeled eyes stared up at me in confusion. I stared back, almost losing my train of thought.

"I figured I should just tell you what's going on so that you stop going into automatic survival mode whenever I'm around."

He looked down sheepishly.

"I'm not doing this because I'm planning anything. I don't hate you."

He looked back up, curiously.

"…Not like I like you, either. You're just different."

"D-different?"

"How do I explain this without making it sound weird… You're like a, uh, a…"

The words 'comfort pillow' and 'security blanket' entered my mind, but that was creepy.

"You make bad things go away."

Bad choice of words, 'cause guess how he interpreted it?

"W-what? L-like ghosts? Why do I make them go away? AGH, are they following you? Are you being h_-haunted_?"

I tilted my head slightly and scratched my head in contemplation. This kid really was hard to talk to sometimes. Not like my choice of words were exactly genius, either. "Haunted… In a sense, I guess?"

"GAH!"

"But not like that! It's more of an… emotional thing…"

It was a good thing I had picked a completely empty hallway to talk in, because I hated using that word. EMOTION. Something I was known to lack. But for some reason I really felt like I should tell Tweek the truth.

"You see, sometimes I feel kind of bad, but when you're around, I don't feel… bad… anymore…"

I wanted to punch myself in the face. _Why_ did I say that? What I just said had sounded incredibly stupid and bizarre and gay and NOT Craig Tucker, and I'd never felt more embarrassed in my life. The worst thing was, it was the _truth_. I could tell my face was getting a little red, and I looked away, staring intently at the ugly green lockers that lined the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. But as soon as I did so, I wished I hadn't. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tall, dark-skinned teen watching us from behind a vending machine.

Token had witnessed the whole conversation, and I was ready to kill myself.

Tweek was silent, and for once I couldn't tell what he was thinking, whether he was in awe about what I had said, or if he just didn't understand. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, though, so I couldn't read his face.

I was starting to get mad. Furious. Fucking Token had to fucking spy.

I had to get out of there. I turned around and paced as fast as I could without running towards the front entrance of the school...

xx

"Hello?"

"Uh, hi Craig. It's Red."

How that girl got my cell phone number, I had no idea.

I sighed heavily. "What's up?"

"What happened today during lunch? You never came to biology afterwards."

"I decided to ditch."

"Oh."

"Uh, Red?"

"Yeah?" Her voice had a hint of hopefulness in it.

"Is there a real reason why you're calling me?" I could tell by her voice that she had an ulterior motive apart from the petty conversation she was trying to make.

On the other end, I could tell she was hesitating to say what she was about to say.

"…There's something I want to ask you."

xx

Okay, I lied. Finals has yet to come, but I just HAD to write another chapter!

Review, please! Nicely, please.

-Naie


	6. Feelings

Mister Lonely

Feelings

A/N: Now that I've figured out that high school finals aren't that big of a deal (being the scared little freshman that I am, I thought I was going to die), and now that I'm on break for two and a half weeks, I'm gonna celebrate by writing! I'll have to admit, though, I kind of wrote myself into a corner with that last chapter… I really didn't have anything planned for the next chapter when I wrote that.

I know. So unorganized.

xx

After that… incident with Tweek, I had been avoiding him like the plague.

xx

Something terrifying was sneaking up on me. I couldn't see it, but I felt its presence behind me. I kept trying to look over my shoulder, but I couldn't. So I just kept walking.

I could feel it coming closer. Its monstrous aura was right behind me now, tickling the back of my neck. Panicking, I ran away. I desperately tried to look behind me to see what exactly this thing WAS, but to no avail. At first I thought I was getting away, but no. It was catching up to me, sprinting up from behind. It was upon me now, and I yelled, horrified, cowering over in defenselessness. This was the end. I didn't want it to end like this!

I awoke from the dream, gasping and drenched in sweat. My vision was blurry and my head felt like it had been bashed against a concrete wall several times. I clenched my hand over my forehead, cussing loudly. I looked at the clock on my bedside table, and after a few minutes of staring at it, realized it was 2:07 PM and Saturday, I think. Something vague in the back of my mind told me that I was late for something, but my head was too fucked up at the moment to make any connections. All I knew at the moment was that I needed something to get rid of my headache. And food.

I got out of bed, kicking off my sweatpants and pulling on a pair of jeans. Judging by the silence, no one else seemed to be in the house so I didn't bother putting on a shirt like Ruby always demanded. I stomped down the stairs and swallowed a few painkillers as I poured myself a bowl of cereal in the kitchen.

As I was shoveling Cheerios into my mouth, I heard a knock on the door.

"Comhimg!" I called through a full mouth. It was probably Clyde, since he loved to come bother me early in the morning. Although I guess it wasn't what most people would call "early".

I wiped my mouth off with the back of my hand as I opened the front door. As it opened, the cold from outside hit me, making me shiver violently. It was even snowing. Ruby always turned the heat (or the air conditioning, depending on the time of year) on full blast so I could never tell what it was really like outside.

"Oh, hey Red."

"H-hey," She replied timidly, blushing a little due to my lack of clothing.

Aaand, THAT was when the connections in my head were made.

I slapped the side of my head in guilt. "I'm sorry, Red! We were supposed to meet at Stark's Pond at one-thirty, weren't we?"

I felt really bad. Red was probably the only girl in South Park that didn't piss me off, and lately I'd been thinking about what Bebe had said to me about her.

"It's okay! You look like you've been sleeping, I'm sorry if I'm bothering you," she said, taking note of my mess of tangled black hair. "It looks like you're wearing a bird's nest on your head!" She laughed.

An insult like that coming from someone like Bebe would have brought out my middle finger, but I just chuckled at Red's comment.

"Anyway," she continued, "do you wanna go get some coffee? There's something I want to talk about."

I remembered the conversation we had had over the phone a few days ago. She had sounded like she had something important to say, although she never really told me what the deal was.

"Yeah, sure."

xx

Red was a really easy person to talk to. As we talked idly over some hot mugs of coffee at the local coffee shop, I began to feel more relaxed and less stressed. I could tell that Red was stalling, but it was nice to have some humorous talk before the important stuff came.

We must have been there for an hour, maybe more. The man at the counter had come to our table six times to refill our mugs. A new shift must have come because the seventh time, it wasn't the man. I looked up to thank the person pouring more coffee into my mug and almost jumped.

It was Tweek.

For some reason, I blushed. "Th-thanks…"

"Y-you're -ngh- welcome," he replied awkwardly, then scurried away to serve other customers.

The surprise on my face must have been obvious, because when I looked back to Red, she was smiling mischievously. Then she stood up suddenly, left a tip on the table, and headed out of the coffee shop, motioning for me to come with her.

I followed her out into the snowy parking lot.

She turned to me and spoke, laughing. "Did you really not expect Tweek to be there?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You do know his dad owns the place."

Actually, I didn't know that, but it sure made sense now, considering Tweek's addiction to that bitter, black stuff.

"…Oh." I looked away, sheepishly. It seemed that Red was figuring out the so-called 'Tweek thing'.

"Craig."

I looked back down at Red, and to my alarm, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. It was only a light peck on the lips, but it was still enough to make me blush furiously.

"…Red?"

"I like you, Craig."

"Uh…"

"I like you a lot."

So many thoughts were running through my mind, and I tried to put them into order.

"Red, I think you're the girl I like the most in this town, and you're really easy to talk to, and it's really fun being around you-"

She interrupted. "But I know you don't like me back. Maybe as a friend, but not as anything more. I think maybe you're confused about your feelings." Her hands slipped off my shoulders and down to her sides as she looked down, away from my eyes. I couldn't tell whether or not she was upset.

"It's Tweek, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You like Tweek."

"You think I'm gay?" Somehow I couldn't protest that I wasn't.

"Token told me about it. I think it's really sweet, actually."

That asshole, I thought.

She looked back up at me, but she wasn't sad. She was smiling. A big, honest, smile, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"I'll always support you. So good luck, and don't be afraid to hide your feelings." She turned to skip off, and I watched her leave, speechless.

xx

I sat on the sidewalk, staring at the street blankly. I wasn't sure what to think of what Red had said. I had been sitting there for hours, and the coffee shop I sat in front of was closing.

"What did she say to you?"

I jumped slightly at the sound of a new voice.

One Stan Marsh took a seat beside me on the curb. "You've been staring at the ground for hours. Did Red dump you?"

"Were you spying on me?"

"I was sitting by the window, and I saw her kiss you and run away."

"I suppose it's never occurred to you that watching people like that is creepy."

"Yeah, that's what Wendy says."

This guy really couldn't take a hint.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I just want to help."

"We weren't dating."

"Oh."

Awkward silence.

"So do you like her or something?"

"Apparently not."

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

"I think you like her," he teased, punching me lightly on the arm.

Why is this dude talking like this to me? I barely know him.

"No, I don't."

"But you like someone."

"I don't know."

"You can tell me!"

Hell with it. I've already been screwed over by Token and Red, and I needed someone to talk to, whether or not I wanted to admit it.

"I… don't know what to think."

"Think what you want, I guess?"

"I mean," I turned to look at Stan. "I think I like someone, but I don't know if I'm okay with it."

The guy put on a puzzled face. "Go with your gut! Seriously, dude, like with Wendy-"

"No Wendy stories."

"Ah, uh, okay, sorry."

We sat there in silence for a few minutes. Then Stan stood up.

"I gotta go. Hope you figure out whatever you're trying to figure out, I guess!"

I nodded as he waved good-bye and climbed into his car. Something that he had said made sense... Was it the 'gut' part? After watching him drive off, I stood up and went to the window of the coffee shop. I could see Tweek in there, stacking chairs.

The door wasn't locked yet, so I pushed it open and walked in. The soft tingling of the bells on the door startled the blonde, and he dropped a chair, staring at me in horror from across the room.

"AGH! We-we're closed."

"I know."

I just stood there, staring at him. I couldn't do anything else. Confused, he stared back with those wide, hazel eyes.

"T-Token was-_ngh_- talking about you, a-and..."

"Whatever he said, he might be right."

The boy blushed at this, and opened his mouth, but before I knew it I had walked up to him, and I was hugging him tightly.

He was silent and motionless, not even shaking.

So this was emotion. It was the strangest feeling in the world, yet it was the best feeling in the world.

xx

I was planning on updating earlier, but stuff happened and I got slowed down. D:

I wanted to get it done, so I rushed the last bit and didn't go back to make corrections...

Merry Christmas, BTW!

Reviews = love!

-Naie


	7. Mutuality

Mister Lonely

Mutuality

xx

I couldn't sleep all night. I kept repeating that day's events over and over in my head as I lay motionless on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Maybe I dozed off at some point, maybe I didn't. I couldn't tell because whether it was my thoughts or my dreams, my head was always displaying the same thing. All I knew was that eventually I got up at six in the morning the next day. I wasn't exactly hungry, but I continued to plod down the stairs to the kitchen for breakfast.

Dishes clanked noisily together as I rummaged through the cupboard looking for a cereal bowl. I winced slightly at the sounds, not sure whether or not I was being too loud. I seemed to recall the knowledge that my parents slept like logs, and I hoped that the same went for Ruby.

Evidently not, though.

"What's the racket?" My twelve-year-old sister yawned as she trudged down the stairs in her Barbie-patterned pajamas. She plopped down at the kitchen table and stretched. "Craig, put a shirt on. And make me some cereal," she said groggily, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

I rolled my eyes, pouring another bowl of Cheerios.

We ate for a few minutes, and then Ruby started asking questions.

"How come you're up so early?"

"How come _you're_ up so early?"

"I don't like sleeping while other people are up. Plus you were making too much noise. Answer my question," she pressed.

"…I couldn't sleep."

"Why? I've never seen you up before noon on a weekend."

"I've had a lot to think about lately."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Stuff you wouldn't understand."

"Like I'll believe that."

"Better believe it."

"Girl problems?"

"No."

"Boy problems?"

That kind of caught me off guard. "What?"

"So I have a gay brother?" She rested her chin in her hands, leaning her elbows on the table and grinning at me intently. "Who is it?"

Ruby was smarter than she seemed sometimes. "Fuck off."

"Come on! I've always suspected you were faggy, anyway."

I flipped her off, and she returned the gesture enthusiastically.

"Do I know him?"

"No."

"Can I meet him? Is he good looking?"

"I'm leaving."

I stood up, despite a protesting Ruby, and went to the door, pulling a sweater on. I couldn't find my hat right away so I just decided to leave without it.

The sun was just coming up, and it was freezing outside. I buried my hands in my coat pockets and hunched my shoulders as I stepped down to the icy sidewalk.

xx

I walked to the coffee shop, which was open with a few people already ordering coffee. I stood outside the window, craning my neck to see who was at the counter, but it was the man from yesterday who I now assumed was Tweek's dad. After further inspection of the café, I discovered Token lounging at a lone table in the corner. He didn't seem to have noticed me, but you never know with that guy, so I pretty much had no choice but to go talk to him.

I entered the shop, striding over to the tall dark boy. Shoving my hands in my jean pockets, I kept my gaze away from him, staring out the window watching the cars drive by.

"I thought you might come here."

My eyes narrowed at this little comment of his, but I kept them averted.

"So?"

"_So_," he replied coolly, "I came because I wanted to talk to you. Have a seat." He leaned back in his chair, interweaving his fingers together behind his neck as I sat down rigidly.

"Interrogating me won't get you anywhere."

"I'm not here to 'interrogate' you, Tucker. The opposite of that, actually. I came to give you answers."

This answer caught me off guard. I looked up into his calm, dark eyes, searching him for some sort of sign that he was deceiving me. I found none.

"I'm aware of certain… Events."

There were two problems with this asshole. One was that he seemed to know _everything_. The other was that he didn't have much consideration for the concept of 'keeping secrets'.

I shot him a half glare, but didn't say anything.

"I just thought you might want to know how Tweek feels."

This caught my attention. "What?"

"He was very confused, at first. But I'd have to say I have a good grip on what's going through your mind, so I explained it to him."

"What the _fuck_ drives you to think you know how I feel?" I acted mad, but I was more scared. Terrified, actually. I had no doubt in my mind that Token knew exactly what I was thinking, although I'd never admit it.

"Well, let me guess. You hold certain feelings for Tweek, feelings that you yourself can't grasp but you know that whatever they are, they're real."

I hate this guy. Down to the very core.

"Do you want to know what that feeling is?"

Before he could get it out of his mouth, I leaped from my seat and threw a punch straight to the teen's face. Before it could come into contact, though, he caught my fist neatly with one hand and heaved a disapproving sigh. Instead of fighting back like most would do, though, he stood up, left a tip on the table, and strolled out of the coffee shop, just like that. I stood there in frustration watching him climb into his car in the parking lot and drive away. A few shocked people stared at me with fright, and I sent a death glare around, hastily making my way out of the place.

Damn that Token, reading my mind like a goddamn psychic and making a fool out of me in that sickeningly smug way of his. I wanted to beat something up, but making a victim out of an innocent wouldn't end well so I ran, desperately searching for someplace isolated to take out my anger.

I finally stopped running when I got to Stark's Pond. It had always been a place of solitude, at least for me, and it was a far away enough place from the rest of South Park. I walked over to the thick trunk of the tree that watched over the pond, leaning against it in exhaustion. Everything was going wrong and I didn't know how to fix it. I had talked to Token to get answers but the bastard just wouldn't quit being so conceited and irritating! In a blind rage, I slammed my fist into the tree, scraping my knuckles on its rough bark. Paying no attention to injury, I brought it into contact with the tree again, with more force this time. I heard bones cracking, but it didn't matter.

I continued to pummel the tree with angry vigor for a few minutes, before I sank to my knees in the snow, staring at my throbbing hand. It hurt, but I didn't care. I felt tired, and suddenly all I wanted to do was sleep. I lay down where I was, closing my eyes.

xx

I woke up. My vision was clouded over and it was snowing violently, bits of ice whipping my face as they blew by.

Had I been sleeping? Where was I?

I couldn't feel my face. Or my hands or feet. Pretty much the only thing I felt at the moment was confusion. I lay in the snow, staring up at a pair of wide, hazel eyes that leaned over me.

"…alright?" His lips were moving, but I could barely hear him.

"What?"

"Are y-you alright?" Tweek repeated.

"I'm fine…"

He gave me a disbelieving look. "Ngh, you look t-terrible. Can y-you get up?"

I sat up slowly and stiffly, wincing as my sore bones screamed into place. I groaned slightly as I caught sight of my mangled right hand. My head was spinning, and I was pretty sure Tweek was talking to me but I couldn't hear him. The only parts of my body that I _could_ feel were throbbing with pain. I doubled over where I sat and fell over into Tweek, who twitched in surprise and braced his hands against my chest to keep the both of us from falling over.

"I-I'll take you to the hospital."

I stared down at my busted hand. "No."

"Agh! Then y-your house?"

"No."

"Where do -ngh- do you want to go?"

"I want to stay here." I was shivering acutely, speaking through my clenched teeth. "Can I talk to you…?"

"I-I really think we sh-should get out of the storm-"

I silenced him by bringing my good hand gently up over his mouth. "Please."

He fell silent.

"I'm sorry I've been acting like an ass lately." Maybe for a little- or a _lot_- longer than just 'lately', but that was besides the point.

"But I finally understand." I looked up into those wide, ever-nervous eyes of his and then wrapped my arms around his torso in an emotional embrace. His thin hands feebly gripped the upper sleeves of my jacket as I pulled him into a hug.

There was no doubt about it. "The person I love," I breathed, pulling back a bit from the hug to look at him, "is you."

Both of us were silent for a few seconds. Then Tweek finally spoke.

The electric blonde blushed, hesitating for a second. "Craig… I-I think I love you, too."

My eyes widened in surprise. I hadn't expected my feelings to be returned, but…

I smiled down at him, and at the moment, I felt no pain or ache, only happiness.

He smiled back at me timidly. "May-maybe we should get to a hospi-"

"There's one more thing," I interrupted, and without hesitation, I closed my eyes and gently pressed my lips against his. His body relaxed a little bit in my arms as he returned the kiss, and we stayed like that for a while before the cold soaked in and we pulled apart, shivering.

"Now we can go."

xx

Oh! The DRAMA! :3

You know the drill.

Reviews make me happy, happy, happy.

-Naie


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